christmas parties - BIG SWITCH!!! BOys first!

We have several areas in which you can serve:

1 - You can be on a TEAM!
Team members go around with a team of children and experience all they do.  You will assist the Team Leader by helping keep up with the campers on your Team, assist them while they are shopping and participate with them as they enjoy the activities. To be on a Team, you would need to be at camp by 7:30 am for Team meeting and stay until the party is over.

                                For the following areas, volunteers need to be at the gym by 8:30 am

2 - Wrapping Room – wrapping gifts – children get to have one gift wrapped to give to someone – we want them to experience…the JOY of giving!!

3 – Shopping Tables – taking up play money and helping kiddos shop.

4 – Clothing / Shoe Area – taking up play money and helping children select clothes , shoes and coats.  Each child will have PINK money that can ONLY be used in this area.

5 – Bag Area – each camper will have a big black trash bag with all the items they selected, you will help with bags after they have completed shopping and placing in correct  Area based on labels on bag and signs on the walls for that area.  Usually, men work this area since bags can be heavy.

6 – Parking – helping direct vehicles and giving instructions to volunteers to enter the side door of the gym to register 

7 -  Personal Shopper  -  you will assist a camper as they go through the shopping line.  You will help them as they select their gifts and carry their bag. 

Volunteers need to be at the gym by 8:30 am. (expect Team members at 7:30 am.)

– enter in the door on the LEFT side of the gym.  Be sure to register and complete a name badge. Please plan to stay until the party is over and buses have departed. 

Since most of our children live in and attend schools in the same counties as our volunteers, we try to stress the rule of not allowing volunteers younger than 16 years of age. This helps to avoid any feelings of awkwardness in front of their classmates and peers of the same age.  

Please understand we could have over 400 camp children attend the Christmas party. We have to insure each child remains with their assigned team and if other children attend it causes confusion.  We appreciate your willingness to volunteer however, we ask that you not bring your children unless they are at least 13 and will be volunteering along side you. 

The Christmas parties take months of preparation to ensure that everything runs smoothly on the day of the parties. Gifts are inventoried and counted to make sure we have enough for every girl and boy. Having the time for 400 plus children to shop is also a difficult task and it takes adhering to strict timelines. Because of the tremendous number of children who will attend it is of the utmost importance that everyone abides by the rules set forth by Lighthouse. This includes not letting children go backwards in the shopping line and not giving extra gifts for free which may deprive another camper from getting one.

We appreciate the willingness of our camper families to help out with our ministry events. However, we request that family members NOT volunteer at the Christmas party their family member attends. Our focus on this day is all about the campers having a GREAT day. We want to allow them the opportunity to shop and “surprise” their loved ones with gifts they picked out all by themselves. Additionally, we don’t want other children to feel less loved or to be disappointed that they’re family member didn’t attend.